With non-essential retail still closed and avoiding the High Streets during Lockdown, my chances of plastic tat shopping in pound stores and charity shops has been nil.
Aside from kind donations from the lead and plastic mountain of fellow bloggers like Alan (Duchy of Tradgardland) Gruber, I have also discovered the occasional joys of the online pound store.
Toys for a Pound! https://toysforapound.com
Yes, toys for a pound.
The H. G. Wells’ “eternal boy” of Little Wars (on a Budget – see our strapline) or my inner 7 year old is still far too easily pleased with this.
I like the “bigging up” on the bag header of what for many people is just a pound bag of 60 plastic tat soldiers – but these are no ordinary troops, they are THE TROOPS – WAR FORCE SET – SPECIAL MISSION – SUPER SPEED.
These plastic soldiers are about 45-50mm.
As well as the plastic toy soldiers, there are also more military figures and film collectibles on Toys for a Pound:
At the moment (as lines sell out), you can get 4 ‘Lego compatible’ block type soldiers for 25p each – that’s about a twelfth of the price of a Lego blind bag minifigure, and you can see what or who you are getting.
These mini-figures did used to be in M.Y blind bags – similar blind bags with bricks and minifigures can also be seen on https://toysforapound.com
Perfect stocking fillers, party bags, Easter presents – apparently you could also give them as gifts to children (over 3 or 6 years old).
Unlike the picture shown in the website, the military figures do actually come equipped with military equipment.
Being precoloured plastic, these would be good for garden gaming, as if you lost them, they are only 25p each. You would need some flat Lego type base plates to help them stand on uneven surfaces. Wilko stores do pick and mix blocks / Wilko Blox, whilst Toys for a Pound have blind bags of 50 Lego compatible pieces and a minifigure.
For those requiring female soldiers, an equally lavish pound will get you four female M.Y block figures for head swaps.
The Pound Store Lastic Warriors blog acid test: Q. Would I enjoy either of these packs of soldiers or block figures as a (1970s) seven year old spending my pocket money on them? Absolutely.
Which of the two would I choose to spend my Pound on? Difficult one!
I was slightly too old when the Lego minifigures started to appear as we now know them, but Airfix figures and Lego walls mix well enough.
Wilko do small military vehicles as we mentioned in a 2019 post:
https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2019/04/12/the-joy-of-pound-store-block-figures/
What every modern girl needs … her own attack helicopter! (Wilko 2019)
https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/toys/construction-toys/c/858
Interesting to look at but I am currently avoiding starting a whole new Lego compatible army. I wonder what H.G. Wells, writer of Floor Games and Little Wars, would make of these block figures and this plastic building bricks world?
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, 20 March 2021.
Pound Store Plastic Warriors 
When I first saw the figures photographed their poses reminded me of the 25mm ones 🙂
If they’re 45mm they’re a lot more useful
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Yes, it’s odd how some if these poses recur in different sizes such as the Rambo machine gunner. Presumably pantographed up and down as needed. The grenade thrower is probably a copy of the Matchbox US Infantry pose.
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It’s nice to see bagged figures like these at Dollar Stores (the U.S. version of Pound Stores) again. A number of years ago the bags often included a tank, one or two planes, a jeep, etc. I wound up with a ton of Patton tanks and armored cars–too many, actually. Then the bags gradually held just figures, and those got worse and worse as time went on. But at some point someone must have realized a decent-looking figure cost no more to produce than a piece of junk, and things improved. I’ve got grandsons aged 4 and 6–I can hardly wait to get them involved!
Best regards,
Chris Johnson
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60 figures for a Pound / Dollar still seems a good deal to my inner 7 year old.
I guage this against £1 months pocket money or birthday pound in a card in the late 1970s which saved up would buy you a whole Star Wars figure ( which is now about £10?). A pound didn’t go so far with metal figures when I started buying these in the early 1980s. Somehow quantity still seems to win out …
I have also noticed how the amount of vehicles and accessories per playset has steadily reduced.
You can still find knights and (unPC) Cowboys and Indians at a push but wonky cloned modern troops seem to be the norm.
In the hands and mind of an imaginative child, it’s still “their” heroic figures …
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Hi Would you like some samples of the HING FAT WW2 – free ?
Let me know
Peter
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Peter Thanks Always interested to see new (to me) figures – I can feature these on the blog. I shall email you my contact address. Thanks Mark ManofTIN
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